Chapter 253: For My Star

The safehouse was supposed to be secure.

It wasn’t.

The moment the lights died, six heavily armed fanatics spun around in the darkness, weapons raised, voices shaking with prayers and fear.

Then the shadows moved.

Ravial stepped out of the blackness like he had been born from it.

Tall, shirtless and barefoot. The low-slung pants he’d worn earlier still hung from his hips, but now faint hellfire flickered along the edges of his skin, casting an eerie red glow across the room. His blindfold was gone, revealing eyes that burned like molten gold and black voids at the same time.

He smiled.

“Hello, little Watchers,” he purred. “You came all this way to kill my child and steal my wife… and you didn’t even bring flowers?”

Marcus Reed was the first to react. He raised his rifle, silver bullets chambered, and fired.

The shots rang out but the bullets froze mid-air, inches from Ravial’s chest, then dropped harmlessly to the floor like dead flies.

Ravial tilted his head, amused.

“Cute.”

With a lazy flick of his fingers, Marcus’s rifle twisted violently in his hands, bending into scrap metal. The ex-FBI agent gasped in pain as the metal crushed his fingers.

The other five fanatics opened fire.

Ravial didn’t even flinch.

Every bullet stopped inches from his body, suspended in the air like glittering metal rain. Then, with a bored sigh, he waved his hand. The bullets reversed direction and shot back at their owners not to kill, but to maim. shattering their Kneecaps and shoulders exploded.

Their screams filled the small house as the men dropped to the ground, writhing in pain.

Ravial walked slowly through the chaos, stepping over bleeding bodies like they were nothing.

One of the zealots, a man clutching a large silver cross crawled backward, sobbing prayers.

“Get behind me, Satan!”

Ravial crouched in front of him, smiling almost kindly.

“Satan?” he repeated softly. “Oh, darling… I’m so much worse than that.”

He placed two fingers under the man’s chin and gently lifted his face.

“Look at me.”

The man’s eyes met Ravial’s burning gaze and he started screaming. Not from pain but from pure, soul-deep terror as visions of every sin he had ever committed flooded his mind at once.

Ravial drank in the fear like fine wine.

Behind him, Lucius and the other demons had materialized, standing like silent executioners, watching their lord play.

Ravial stood up, turning to face the rest of the team.

“You wanted to take my wife,” he said conversationally, voice smooth and terrifying. “You wanted to cut my child out of her womb and call it holy work. You actually believed you could touch what belongs to me.”

He stepped closer, power rolling off him in waves that made the air itself feel heavy.

“Let me show you what happens when insects reach for the stars.”

One by one, he made them suffer.

Not quickly.

He toyed with them, breaking bones slowly, forcing them to see their worst nightmares, whispering truths about how insignificant they were while they begged for mercy that would never come.

Marcus Reed was the last one conscious.

Ravial crouched in front of him, blood dripping from his fingers, and smiled almost gently.

“You were FBI once,” he murmured. “You should have stayed away but you chose her. You chose to look at my wife with desire.”

He leaned in until their faces were inches apart.

“I’m going to let you live,” Ravial whispered. “Just long enough to deliver a message to your little cult.”

He pressed a single finger to Marcus’s forehead.

The man convulsed violently as Ravial burned the image of his own broken, bleeding team directly into his mind.

When it was done, Ravial stood up, wiping his hands on a fallen curtain like a gentleman cleaning ink from his fingers.

“Take him back to them,” he told Lucius. “Let the rest of the Watchers see what happens when they reach for my star.”

Lucius bowed deeply. “As you wish, my lord.”

Ravial turned and walked out of the blood-soaked safehouse without another glance.

The night air felt cleaner.

He lit another cigarette as he stood under the stars, the distant sound of ocean waves mixing with the screams still echoing from inside.

A soft, satisfied smile played on his lips.

Come then, little mortals.

Try again.

I’m just getting started.

The next morning

Sunlight poured through the large windows of the villa’s dining area, warm and golden.

Leitana sat at the table, smiling softly as she fed Rosie spoonfuls of fresh papaya and coconut porridge. The little girl was still clutching her giant white teddy bear tightly in one arm, even while eating. Her cheeks had more color today, and her eyes sparkled every time she looked at Leitana.

“You like it, mi baby?” Leitana asked gently, wiping a bit of porridge from Rosie’s chin.

Rosie nodded enthusiastically. “Yes! It’s sweet.”

Leitana laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. “Good. Eat plenty. You need to get strong again.”

Ravial sat at the head of the table, watching them in silence. His expression was calm, but his eyes followed every movement Leitana made, the way she smiled at Rosie, the gentle way she stroked the child’s hair, the protective hand she kept on her own belly.

Leitana glanced over at him, noticing he hadn’t touched his plate.

“Mi Ravial… you are not eating?” she asked softly, tilting her head with concern.

Ravial looked at her for a moment, then gave a small, almost fond smile.

“I ate earlier,” he said calmly. “Don’t concern yourself with me, little lamb. Focus on yourself and the children.”

Leitana nodded, though she still looked a little doubtful. She turned back to Rosie, who was now hugging Mr. Fluffy with both arms.

After a quiet moment, Rosie looked up at Leitana with hopeful eyes.

“Can we go see the others today?” she asked softly. “Mi miss them.”

Leitana’s heart melted. She glanced at Ravial, who gave a subtle nod of approval.

“Of course, mi love,” Leitana said warmly, brushing Rosie’s hair back. “We can go after breakfast. Mr. Ravial will take us.”

Rosie’s face lit up with pure joy. She hugged her teddy bear tighter, already excited.

Leitana smiled at Ravial across the table, her eyes full of gratitude and love.

He reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

“Anything you want,” he murmured, voice low enough for only her to hear. “Today and every day after.”

Leitana blushed softly, her fingers intertwining with his as Rosie continued eating happily, chattering about all the stories she wanted to tell the other children when they visited.

For a brief, peaceful moment, everything felt right.

But in the back of Ravial’s mind, the screams from last night still echoed faintly.